In this recurring series, we take a visual tour of the environments that comprise the world of XCOM 2. Today, we look at the Slums.

We all know the promise of a better life in the ADVENT City Centers is a lie, and so it should come as no surprise that some of those living on the fringe find themselves situated in impoverished neighborhoods where crime and dissent run rampant. These are the Slums.

There is a sharp dichotomy at work in the Slums, where vandalized buildings directly contrast the pristine Unification statues and glistening skylines of the nearby ADVENT City Centers. The Slums provide an upfront view at the lies told by ADVENT, where the people are promised a bright future and instead given a dark and dismal present.

ADVENT maintains watch over the populace while maintaining order in the opulent ADVENT City Centers, leaving denizens of the Slums to seek scraps of freedom within the shadows. These people need us, Commander, for there is no greater cause in this world than providing hope to the hopeless. We are that hope. We are XCOM.

XCOM 2 launches on PC worldwide February 5, 2016. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news from the resistance.